Machine for tonguing and grooving the ends of wood flooring.



If. F. BEUGLEIL.

MACHINE FOR TONGUING AND enoovme- THE ENDS or. WOODPLOOBING.

APPLICATION FILED (M121, 1909.

Patented Dec.30,1913.

w; HETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses. fi

Attorney.

E. F. BEUGLER.

MAOHINETOR TONGUING AND GROOVING THE ENDS 0F WOOD FLOORING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.21,1909.

1,082,791. Patented Dec.30, 1913.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 0).. WASHINGTON. D. c.

E. F. BEUGLER. MACHINE FOR TONGUING AND GROOVING THE ENDS OF WOOD FLOORING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.21,1909.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

.rlitorm'y.

COLUMBIA PIANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIOEQ EDWIN F. IBEUGLER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD B. HOLMES, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR TONGUING AND GROOVING- THE ENDS OF WOOD FLOORING.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN F. BEUGLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Tonguing and Grooving the Ends of Wood Flooring, of which the following is a speclficatlon.

This invention relates to an improved machine for tonguing and grooving flooring or other material and the object of the invention is to provide a machine of that class that is simple and strong in construction, 1s adjustable to take different sizes of material, is quickly accessible for repairs or replacements and which requires but one operator and has an unusually large working capacity.

The invention also relates to certain details of construction which will be hereinafter described and claimed reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top plan view of the improved machine for tonguing and groovmg the ends of wood flooring. Fig 2 is a rear elevation of the improved machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the grooving end of the machine showing the mechanism in detail, the sheet metal bed or platform being removed to disclose the mechanism. Fig. 4 is a section on line c, Fig. 3.

In referring to the drawings in detail like numerals designate like parts.

In the following description, the frame of the machine will be first described in detail, to be followed with detail descriptions of the several mechanisms in the order in which they operate and concluding with a general comprehensive description of the operation of the machine.

Machine frame.The frame proper of the machine consists of longitudinal side members 1 connected by transverse intermediate end members 2, transverse top end members 3, supporting legs 4:, and longitudinal sup porting members 5 located above the horizontal plane of the side members.

The frame is preferably formed of wood and a metal bed 6 is securely mounted thereon which consists of a series of trans versely divided sections separated from each other by slots 7.

A longitudinal platform or shelf 8 is lo- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 21, 1909.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913. Serial No. 473,423.

cated at the front of the machine which extends throughout the length of the machine, is sup-ported from the machine frame and constitutes a support for the flooring or other material preparatory to said material being operated on.

Transverse feeding meeham'sm.-When the flooring is pushed by the operator from the platform 8 upon the bed 6 it is moved transversely on the bed by feeding mechan- 1813 into position to be operated on at one en Two longitudinal shafts 9 and 10 are journaled in bearings in respectively the front and rear of the machine and wheels 11, located in alinement with the slots 7 are mounted on said shafts. Chains 12 are fitted around and supported by the wheels 11, and longitudinal feed bars 13 are attached to the chains at intervals. These feed bars 13 are preferably of angle iron and have bottom curved recesses 14 and top depressions 15 for purposes to be hereinafter described. The shaft 10 is driven from a source of power by pulley and belt transmission and the Wheels 11 on said shaft 10 are provided with teeth and form sprocket wheels to transmit motion to the chain 12. The longitudinal shaft 9 is idle and the wheels 11 thereon are untoothed and form sheave wheels.

A friction mechanism is shown which allows the power to be yieldingly applied so that the transverse feeding mechanism will stop upon abnormal strain, such forinstance, as the, clogging or wedging of a piece of flooring in the machine to prevent the breaking of machine parts. This mechanism consists of a pulley 16 loosely mounted on the shaft 10 which is connected by belting 17 to any convenient source of power, such as an overhead shaft, a pinion l8 loosely mounted on the shaft 10 and having a clutch member 19 adapted to be brought into engagementwith a clutch member on the pulley, a pinion 20 mounted on a short stationary shaft 21 attached to the machine frame and having a lateral sleeve 22, a gear wheel 23 mounted on the sleeve 22 and meshing with the pinion 18 and a gear wheel 24 mounted on the longitudinal shaft 10 and meshing with the pinion 20. The gear wheel 28 is frictionally locked'or clamped on the sleeve 22 between friction rings and 26 and is held with suflicient pressure to prevent slippage under the normal or ordinary feeding pressure. An abnormal pressure will cause the gear wheel 23 to rotate independently of the sleeve 22 between the friction rings and thus allow the transverse feeding mechanism to become stationary.

The operator in placing a board on the bed of the machine locates one end in a side pocket or recess 27 in a block 28 attached by bolts to the end of the machine frame and extending diagonally so that the board is gradually forced away from the end of the frame as it is moved across the machine, presser bar 29 is fastened at one end to a slotted portion located at one end of the block 28 by a bolt 30 which slidably fits in the slot 31 and has a limited range of vertical movement therein. The presser bar is also movably secured at an intermediate part to a lug 32 extending from the block by a bo1t 33 which passes through a slot in the pressure bar. The foot of the presser bar is maintained in its downward pressing position with a spring tension by a coil spring 34 which encircles a screw 35 passing through the pressure bar slightly in front of the bolt 32 and is adjustably screwed into an angular lug 36 which extends from the block 28.

Longitudinal feeding mechansm.-From the tongue cutting mechanism the flooring is carried l y the transverse feeding mechanism to the longitudinal feeding mechanism which moves the flooring longitudinally toward the end opposite the tongue cutting end in operative contact with the groove cutting mechanism.

A longitudinal shaft 60, is journaled in brackets 61 attached to the rear of the machine frame and is provided with a pulley 62 which is connected to any suitable source of power and a series of bevel gears 63 located at intervals.

A series of transverse shafts 6A are arranged at intervals beneath the bed of the machine and are journaled in brackets at tached to the machine frame. These shafts 64 carry bevel gears (35 at their rear ends which mesh with the bevel gears of the longitudinal shaft 60, and rollers 66 the upper portions of which project through transverse slots 67 in the machine bed 6. The top surfaces of the rollers extend sufficiently above the bed surface to feed flooring thereon in a longitudinal direction. The front end of the rollers are beveled so that flooring will easily slide thereon see particularly Figs. 3 and at. A roller 68 is journaled on a shaft 69 carried at one end of a pivotal arm 70 and extending laterally therefrom to support the roller 68 vertically above the end roller of the longitudinal feeding mechanism. The pivotal armTO is pivoted to a bifurcated bracket 71 and an upward tension or pressure is maintained on the outer end of the pivotal arm by a spring 72 which is mounted on a screw bar and presses upward against the arm. By this means the inner end of the arm carrying the shaft 69 is forced downward so that the roller 68 is yieldingly forced toward the lowerroller to enable flooring to be frictionally gripped between the rollers. The front end of the roller 68 is beveled. The roller 68 is rotated from the longitudinal shaft 60. A short transverse shaft 73 is journaled in brackets 7st to the machine frame and car ries a bevel gear 75 at its outer end which meshes with a bevel gear 7 6 on the longitudinal shaft 60. A sprocket wheel 77 is mounted on the shaft 73 and a similar sprocket wheel 7 8 is secured at the rear end of the roller 68. The two sprocket wheels are connected for the transmission ofpower by an endless chain 79 which loops around the sprocket wheel 77, extends diagonally up over idle pulleys rotatively supported from an upright bar 80 extending from thepivotal arm 70 and then extends diagonally downward looping around-the sprocket 78; A spring guide arm 81 is bolted at its rear to the pivotal arm 70 and extends forwardly over the roller 68 curving down in front of the roller to form a guide for the wood.

The flooring is carried longitudinally from the tongue cutting mechanism to the groove cutting mechanism by the longitudinal feeding mechanism.

It will be noted that the transverse feeding mechanism is entirely independent of and is operated entirely independent of the longitudinal feeding. mechanism.

In order to cleart-he upper roller 68 and the lower rollers of the longitudinal feeding mechanism the feed bars of the transverse feeding mechanism are provided with lower curved recesses and upper depressions as shown.

Mechanism to prevent reZ 0unrZing.The flooring is moved rapidly and with considerable force bv the longitudinal feeding mechanism and would naturally rebound upon striking a guide at the opposite side of the machine. A means is attached to the machine to frictionally lock the flooring against backward movement or rebounding. This consists of a brush 82 which is supported in transverse position above the bed and in a diagonally bolted position so that flooring may readily pass under the brush in a direction toward the groove. cutting mechanism. Upon rebounding or, attempting to rebound the flooring is automatically caught by the tangentially pointing wire bristles of the brush 82 which engage against the surface of the flooring and embed their lower ends slightly therein thereby yieldingly stopping the flooring in its reverse movement. The brush 82 is bolted to an overhead transverse arm 83 of angular form' by bolts 84 which pass through vertical slots 85 in the arm thereby permitting a certain range of adjustment of the brush toward or from the bed of the machine see Fig. 3. The transverse arm 88 has two vertical'members 86 and 87 extending upward from its outer horizontal portion which are provided with vertical slots 88. An arm 89 is pivoted on a horizontal pivot 90 secured to projecting lugs 91 on a stop block and has its front end adjustably secured to the transverse arm 83 by bolts which pass through the slots of the vertical member, see Fig. 4E. The arm 89 is of angular form and extends diagonally and the brush is yieldingly maintained in its adjusted position by means of a spring 92 mounted on a vertical screw bar 93 which passes through the outer end of the arm exterior of its pivoting point, see Fig. 3. A stop block 91 is mounted at the end of the machine to stop the flooring in its longitudinal movement and a presser bar 95 is pivoted at one end to said block and has a pressure foo-t at the opposite end adapted to yieldingly support the flooring while the tongue is being cut, see Fig. 4. The presser bar is yieldingly maintained in position by a spring 96 which is mounted on a screw bar 97.

Groooe cutting m echam'sm.A vertical shaft 98 is journaled in a pivotal bearing member 99 which in turn is mounted between cone pointed vertical pivot bolts 100 extending through openings in the bifurcations of a forked angular bracket 101 bolted to the machine frame so that the bearing member may have a horizontal swinging adj ustment see Figs. 1 and 2. A circular saw 102 has a central hub 103 which is fitted on the reduced upper end of the vertical shaft 98 and is locked thereon by a set screw 104. The saw 102 and its hub are vertically adjustable on the shaft to vary the elevation of the saw by a vertical set screw 105 which screws through a reduced ring 106 fitted in the upper end of the hub 103 and fastened therein by a pin 107. The lower end of the set screw 105 presses against the upper end of the vertical shaft 98 and supports the saw and its hub in its vertically adjusted position. The member 99 is adjusted horizontally on its pivots 100 to vary the depth of the groove cut by two horizontal screws or bolts 108 and 109 which act oppositely to each other. One of the screws or bolts passes through a lug 110 extending from the bearing member and also through the transverse portion of the angular forked bracket 101 and serves to adjust the block toward the frame member and the other passes through the transverse portion of the angular bracket and presses against the bearing member with its inner end serving to force the bearing members away from the frame member. The shaft 98 has a pulley v 111 which is connected in the usual and well known way to any suitable source of power see Fig. 4.

The operation of this improved machine is as follows :The flooring is first placed on theshelf 8 at the front of the machine and then pushed rearward on the bed of the machine with one end fitted in the pocket of the block against the diagonal surface thereon. The transverse feeding mechanism carries the flooring rearward under the presser arm 29 and to the tongue cutter heads between'which one end passes to cut the tongue. From the tongue cutter heads the material is fed transversely to the longitudinal feeding mechanism which moves it longitudinally across the machine and brings its opposite end against the stop block and in position to cut the groove therein. The flooring is held against reverse movement by the brush member 82 and is fed in a trans- Verse direction to the groove cutting saw where the groove is out. While the groove is being cut the flooring is held in position by the presser bar located at that end of the machine. After the groove is cut the flooring is fed transversely to the rear of the machine where it drops by gravity upon the floor.

Referring to Fig. 1 a board is shown thereon with oneend in tongue cutting position another just after the tongue is cut and entering the rollers of the longitudinal feeding mechanism, another in position beneath the brush and slightly before reaching the groove cutting saw, and another after leaving the groove cutting saw and about ready to drop upon the floor.

In this machine, the transverse feeding mechanism, the longitudinal feeding mechanism, the tongue cutting mechanism, and the groove cutting mechanism are driven entirely independently of each other. Of these mechanisms the transverse feeding mechanism is the only one that is stopped and started, a shifting bar 112 being provided to move the pulley 16 in and out of clutching engagement.

The longitudinal feeding mechanism, the tongue cutting mechanism and the groove cutting mechanism are operated continuously while the power is on unless the belts become disconnected.

The operation of this machine is entirely automatic after the flooring is manually moved from the shelf to the bed, the trans verse and longitudinal feeding mechanisms automatically carrying it to the tongue cutting mechanism and groove cutting mechanism and then off of the bed.

The tongue cutting mechanism is located at one of the front corners of the machine and the groove cutting mechanism at the rear corner diagonally opposite the tongue cutting mechanism and the longitudinal feeding and transverse feeding mechanism are so arranged and driven that flooring is automatically moved from the tongue cutting 'mecli anism to the groove cutting mechanlsm.

1. In a machine of the class described, a machine frame, independent tongue cutting and groove cutting mechanisms located at diagonally opposite corne'rs means forfeeding material to said tongue cutting and groove cuttingmechanisms, ,a stop for thje material located near one of the cutting mechanisms and means for preventing rebounding of the material from said stop including a brush adapted to have its bristles contactwith the material. i

2. In a machine oftlie classdescribed, a machine frame, independent tongue cutting and groove cut-ting mechanisms located at diagonally opposite corners, means for feed- ,ing material to said tongue 'cuttingfand groove cutting mechanisms, a stop for the material located near one of the cutting mechanisms and me ans' for preventing renoun-Clinger the material from said stop including abrush having its bristles extendin on an iiicline'and adapted to have its bi'lstles contfact'ivith the material.

1311p a'm'achineof "the class described a machine frame, independent tongue cutting and groove cutting mechanisms located at diagonally opposite corners, means for feeding iiiaterialto said tongue cutting and groove cutting mechanisms, a stop for the material lc'fcated near one of the "cutting ine cl' anismsianjd for preventing rebounding of ,the' material from said stop comprising a plurality of flexible members a daptedto cont-act vvith the material.

.EDWVINF. BEUGLER. WVitnesses:

,L. M. SANesTER, fGEoneE A. N UBAUE Copies of this patent may be obtained for fi 've cents each,. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' weshingt on p. ,G." 

